The Greatest Flaw
by Pensive Crow
Summary: Inuzuka Kaiya is finally being put into a permanent four man squad in ANBU. Her team captain? Uchiha Itachi. Beginning set before the Uchiha Clan massacre. Rated M for later sexual content and language. Itachi/OC
1. Inuzuka Kaiya

**A/N: **A few words about the workings of this story.. something that will probably noticeably confuse you is the age of the characters in here. Personally, I've always considered the fact that the people in Naruto were ridiculously young to be doing the things they were supposed to be. Honestly, a seven year old throwing shuriken? C'mon. So, basically what I did here is make the characters a bit older. For instance, Itachi's current age is going to be 19, while normally at this point in the story, he is thirteen. Also, Sasuke and Naruto, etc, will be 13, and in the Ninja Academy, because 13 seems a much more reasonable age for them to have been learning the things they were, and acting the way they were when they were 7. Also, Kakashi is going to be 21 at the start of this, as I plan to start this story back in the time when Itachi and Kakashi were in the ANBU Black Ops, before Itachi had slaughtered his clan. If I'm missing any details in the little summary, or confusing any of you with something, feel free to review and let me know! Enjoy!

**ooooooo**

The metal chair screeched across the smooth concrete floor as it was pulled back. It sounded like a damn banshee.

Irritating.

A young woman sat herself sinuously into the seat, clad in full ANBU armor - light gray armored vest, fitted black pants that acted like a stronger second skin, long black gloves that stopped just above her elbows, covered by armored bracers of the same material as her vest, that standard issue katana that all ANBU wore, and lastly, her mask. Each mask was unique to the shinobi, and had the face of a plethora of creatures. Hers was remarkably wolf-like, with long, black, painted spikes reaching inward to the mouth from around the white mask. Her dark chestnut hair fell long and tousled down to her middle back, and the black spiral ANBU tattoo was visible at the shoulder of her right arm. Women's were always on the right side, as men's were on the left.

The woman was obediently quiet, her back straight and her posture at attention toward the man that sat across from her, nestled behind his desk in a comfy chair. The massive black beast at her side mimicked her movements with remarkable intelligence.. of course, all Ninken dogs were clever. His ears were pricked forward, paying close attention.

The man across from her was clearly a retired shinobi - older, and worn out. His hair was salt and pepper, graying around his temples, but still shiny with health. His body, though that of a man reaching his late forties and covered by formal robes, was clearly in shape. His manner was sharp and precise.. like that of a military general. His eyes in particular conveyed that ' don't fuck with me ' attitude, keen and piercing blue. He cleared his throat, speaking with a rough, yet clear timbre.

"As you can see, I am the new Director of Distribution here at the ANBU headquarters after the unfortunate death of Hikari-san. My name is Hotaka Jurou, and I am the one who will now be in charge of distributing missions to each team." His large hands moved, shuffling some papers at his desk without looking. "My goal first and foremost, is to assess the current abilities of ANBU's shinobi, and possibly shuffle teams if I see fit. The reason being simply that I aim to make the best of each shinobi's talents and place them in a squad that best enhances and compliments each man and woman." He quirked a little smile for himself, presumably in applause for his own cleverness. "Honing the blade, as some would say."

The black beast stirred slightly, just as the young shinobi shifted in her seat.

_Pompous prick._

He continued, glancing at the wolf-like creature briefly. "So. I will ask you a few simple questions, and I expect you to answer me fully and with all detail. Name."

A pause.

"Inuzuka Kaiya." The woman's tone was soft, though almost unnoticeably raspy. Feral, as though she were always on the edge of a growl. "..and this is Ryouken." The dog rumbled it's assent, also asserting itself as an intelligent creature - not to be ignored.

Jurou nodded toward Ryouken and cleared his throat, glancing down to write something on a sheet of parchment. "Age."

"Sir, might it have been easier to examine each shinobi's file, rather than call them in one by one? This information would easily have been found there." Her tone was respectfully helpful.. nevermind that her posture was tense and irritated.

Jurou looked up and scowled at her reply to his question. "You will come to find that I am quite thorough, Kaiya-san. And _I_ am the one asking the questions. Age."

"Seventeen. Ryouken is ten."

He wrote more, the pen scratching on the paper.

"Explain to me the details of your skills."

"..Being of the Inuzuka clan, I use Ryouken, my ninken, as a fighting companion. I can communicate easily with him, and it allows the use of short to long range collaboration jutsu. We have primarily been used as trackers on search based missions, as our senses are keener than nearly any other shinobi can boast.. however, we are most definitely not a liability on the battlefield."

He nodded his approval, pen scratching wildly on the paper. Ryouken's ear twitched in irritation.

"Mm. Social skills." He paused. "Before you ask, this is so I can ascertain whether or not I can use you as a spy in various missions."

"..If anything, think of us as pack minded. A team player, loyal, territorial. Sometimes difficult to house break."

"Excuse me?"

"Sir?"

He'd stopped his writing and was looking at her as if he hadn't heard. "You got quiet at the end, what was that you said?"

"Team player. Loyal. Territorial."

His brow furrowed, and he looked down to keep writing, appearing a bit ruffled.

"And have your appearances changed at all since you were last photographed for our files?"

"No, sir. Ryouken and I are relatively new. We haven't been assigned a squad captain yet."

He grunted in reply, before pulling out a small picture. "Nevertheless, remove your mask so I may compare this picture to your current appearance."

…_thorough prick._

It wasn't as though it was required to wear the mask while in Konoha, but all the ANBU members did anyhow for identity protection. Within the walls of the ANBU headquarters, it wasn't such a problem. Each and every one of the shinobi had a seal tattooed beneath their tongue, very small, that did not allow them to leak crippling information about ANBU. She always preferred to wear it simply for the fact that she didn't have to keep a respectful face to people she talked to. For example, Kaiya had to work the grimace off her face before she took the mask off, donning the ANBU shinobi's signature visage of emotionlessness.

Without a word, she lifted her hand and grasped the edge of her mask with the worn leather tips of her gloves, removing the mask up and off her face. Kaiya had tanned skin and very feral features, almost wolfish. It was a characteristic of the Inuzuka clan, for once they reached a certain age, the children were given a pup that was deemed to have a large supply of chakra, and allowed their chakra to bond. It gave the human the characteristics of a canine, and the senses to match, while giving the beast heightened intelligence.

Kaiya's eyes were large, and a bright, rich golden hue, while her pupils were diamond shaped slits. Her canine teeth were elongated and sharp, mirroring that of her companion. She had a slender face with high cheekbones and a slim jaw line. Characteristic of her clan, she had dual, red, fang shaped marks on each cheek. Also, beneath her leather gloves, her fingernails were slightly sharp with a barely definable curve like that of a claw. Her wolfish face combined with her wild mane of dark hair rendered her a strange, exotic kind of beauty. A dangerous beauty.

Jurou's eyes lingered on her for a moment before they flickered back to the picture, grunting an affirmation before slipping the image back into a file. He scratched his chin, continuing, "And how tall do you stand?"

"Five foot six, sir. Ryouken is just over four and a half feet at the tips of his ears, and he weighs just about two hundred and sixty pounds."

Jurou's eyebrow raised as he glanced over to Ryouken, appraising the size of the beast again as if re-evaluating. "Hm. Well, it does indeed seem as though you both are incredibly useful to have around in any team. Regardless, shinobi tend to overestimate their own abilities in the telling, so I intend to remedy that. You will report to the underground sparring chamber directly for a demonstration of your abilities with a few other ANBU I have selected. Dismissed, both of you."

Before he even had time to glance up again, the door was clicking quietly shut.

**oooooooooooo**

Kaiya had walked only a few steps away from the Director's office door when she paused, leaning back against the hallway wall with a clipped sigh. Her gloved hand came up and pinched at the bridge of her nose, as if she were attempting to push back vexation. Ryouken gave a soft rumble and brushed his large head against her leg, looking up at her with knowing blue eyes. Kaiya glanced down at him and gave a short laugh, dropping her hand to scratch behind his right ear. "Yeah, I know.. control my temper and all that. But c'mon.. the guy was asking for it with all of that unnecessary shit." The canine gave a huff through his nose in assent, his dark tail swishing agitatedly through the air.

"What unnecessary shit?"

The smooth male voice caught her attention and she glanced up, locking eyes with a comfortingly familiar face. His one visible obsidian eye was crinkled in a smile over his mask, while the other scarred orb was relaxed shut as he slowed to a halt just next to her and Ryouken. Kaiya gave a half smile, rubbing her neck sheepishly. "It's the new Director, Kakashi.. he's unbearably tedious." He raised one eyebrow at her, clearly amused, and pushed his hands into his pockets, adopting that signature relaxed posture of his. He was surely something to look at in that ANBU uniform.. it was well known that he was one of the most powerful shinobi on the ANBU force, despite his young age of merely 21. He'd become a jounin at the age of 13, and had joined the special forces of the Hokage only a few years later. As all the ANBU did, he did not wear his forehead protector, the hitai-ate, and his wild silver hair fell over his eyes more than usual with the lack of restraint that the protector gave it.

"Tedious? Really.. I haven't had to meet him just yet, so I don't know.. fill me in?" His calm voice was amused, as it usually was with her, and he began to walk down the hall in the direction that he'd been going, though a bit more slowly as a signal that he wanted her and Ryouken to join. She pushed herself off the wall and matched strides with him easily, eagerly explaining to him the irritation that she'd had to endure at the hands of their new Director.

"I swear to Kami, Kakashi-sempai, everything he asked me could have been found on our files. And to top it off, he asked me to go to the sparring arena to give him a demonstration of my abilities _after _I had gone to the trouble of explaining them to him _myself_."

Kakashi chuckled quietly, automatically altering his course toward the location of the arena for her. "Well, he probably just wants to be thorough, Kaiya.."

She bristled, remembering those exact words from Jurou himself. "Perhaps.. but still. You know the length of my patience for such things."

"Indeed I do, and I try to indulge you to the lengths of my ability, Kaiya-san." He turned his head to look at her, the outline of a smirk visible through his mask. At that, she couldn't help but laugh. If anything, that was Kakashi's strength with her. He was always able to calm that tempest-like temper of hers with simply a few words and his calm, easygoing ways. He'd been her closest friend ever since she'd become a jounin two years prior, and he had become a team mate off and on when he wasn't busy with ANBU duties.

Ryouken however, was not as patient just now. He nudged at Kaiya's legs, urging her to speed up. He had a greater sense of duty than she did.. or perhaps he was just attempting to keep her out of the trouble that tardiness would bring. Kakashi caught his movement and agreed. "Ryouken's right.. we probably shouldn't dawdle to get you two down to the arena.." He sighed, clearly displeased at the thought of hustling. She fought back the urge to remind him of his chronic tardiness, though her snicker spoke for her. He cleared his throat, changing the subject she was leaning toward with an abashed air. "Come on, then."

Kaiya looked at him, somewhat confused. "You don't have to go, you know.. " He nodded, " I know, but that doesn't mean I'm not jumping at the chance to watch you beat down some unfortunate shinobi." He gave another one of those eye crinkles that signaled a smile and picked up his pace, Kaiya and Ryouken mirroring his speed.

**ooooooooo**

Down in the underground Sparring arena, there were about ten to twelve shinobi gathered, including Kakashi, Jurou, and Kaiya herself. It was most definitely what one would call an arena, though it was mainly used for training. It was large, made of unaltered concrete, and sparsely lit. The high ceilings allowed for the use of more explosive techniques and evasive tactics.. evidence of countless training exercises were carved into the cement with cracks and gouges. It looked as though one battle was just ending, with both shinobi kneeling on one knee, panting with exertion. However, with a short command from Jurou, they were back with the others, standing in an interested group. Kaiya had to hand it to the old man.. he didn't waste any time in getting down there.

The salt and pepper haired Director caught sight of Kaiya and her hound, and promptly motioned for her to take the center. His voice called out, clear and authoritative.

"Inuzuka Kaiya, and.. " His eyes scanned the few ANBU before continuing, "..Uchiha Itachi, front and center if you please."

Kaiya had heard the name around, and had seen the man briefly, but had never spoken to him. She was aware that he was an ANBU captain.. but she'd never had trouble dispatching captains before in her training. She turned her head and glanced at Kakashi with confident, excited eyes. "Unfortunate shinobi indeed, eh?" Promptly, she turned and trotted out to the center of the arena with Ryouken tight on her heels, her steps lithe and smooth like a hunting predator. She didn't catch Kakashi's suddenly tense expression at the name that Jurou had called.

Kaiya's right hand dropped to the ruff of Ryouken's neck, tangling her fingers briefly in his coarse fur with a low murmur. "Ready, Ryou?" He rumbled his affirmation, his stance loose and prepared. They both watched as a single masked shinobi detached himself from the rest, making his way toward the center of the ring about fifteen feet across from her. Her keen eyes took in every detail, noting the calm, unaffected air of the Uchiha's movement, and with slight amusement, the fact that his ANBU mask was reminiscent of a feline. He didn't say a word, but lifted a hand and removed his mask, tossing it unceremoniously to the side, as their demonstration required their faces visible for easy identification.

Kaiya's eyes flickered over his face, noting the distinct features of the Uchiha clan, just as his eyes were examining her, his opponent. Characteristic of his clan, he was indeed beautiful. Raven black hair hung loosely in his eyes, framing his face, while the majority of it was pulled back in a long, low ponytail. His skin was tanner than most Uchihas she'd seen, but his eyes were her main focus. They were large with obsidian irises, framed by thick black lashes. He also had dark circles beneath his eyes, as if he hadn't had a good night's sleep. She knew very well that she would likely encounter the feared and revered Sharingan during this fight. The prospect was exciting.. perhaps it was a fault of pride, but she enjoyed putting herself against foes with dangerous abilities, simply for the fact that she wanted to come out the victor, with much needed experience. He looked to be a bit older than her, perhaps nineteen, but it made no difference. She intended to take him down like countless others before him.

**oooooooooooo**


	2. Hushed Emotions

She was on her knees, panting. Ryouken stood not three feet away, his legs trembling with the effort to keep standing. Itachi had barely a hair out of place, though he was considerably closer to the two of them now, a kunai held firmly in his right hand.

There were many things she could say about the Uchiha. He moved faster than a snake could strike. He was so comfortable in his taijutsu that he seemed almost to dance. The power with which he delivered his blows were harder hitting than even she could boast of her own. And he hadn't even activated his Sharingan.

But that scuffed mark on the center of his armored vest looked very nice.

The single hit she'd landed on him simply made her hungry for more.. though, he was vehemently denying it to her. So involved was she, that she hadn't noticed the looks or murmurs from the speculating shinobi when she actually _had_ landed the hit. His expression had barely changed throughout their clash, and she wanted to work a reaction out of him somehow. The only change she'd seen in him was when she managed to land a hit early on, and after that, it'd been as if his defenses had clamped down even harder, rendering her attacks practically useless. She and Ryouken had kept hitting nothing but air. Their fight had already gone on longer than all of the others, which was quite a feat in itself, considering they were only allowed to use taijutsu.

She could acutely hear the soft plip of her blood as it trickled from the corner of her mouth and onto the floor. It was humiliating to her own ears, causing her cheeks to burn with shame. A low growl of irritation slipped from her throat, and she smacked the palm of her hand into the concrete before charging at him with the last of her energy, Ryouken automatically following and flanking him on his opposite side.

A mere blur of movement, and they both flew away from him, her with a huff of breath as her back smashed against the ground, and a whimper from Ryouken as his did the same. A sudden slice of pain bit at her arm, and she looked down to see that there was a shallow gash across the outside of her upper left arm. She wasn't done.

_Bastard.. _

Just as she began to push herself up once more, her eyes locked onto the unwavering orbs of the Uchiha, which she'd noticed had flickered with some strange emotion, Jurou called the match.

"All right, all right.. I've seen enough. The two of you clean up and join the others. Hikari, Kage, front and center!"

Automatically, the attention shifted from them, and she let herself fall backward onto her backside, various points on her body stinging with the forming of bruises, and her mouth full of the metallic tang of blood. Irritated, she spit out some of the bitter, crimson liquid, wanting to clear her palate of the taste. Ryouken was beginning to get up, limping slowly toward her, his tail dejectedly low.

She could also hear the distinctive footsteps of Kakashi hurriedly coming toward her, but before anything more could happen, a slender, calloused hand appeared in front of her face. Her smoldering golden eyes followed the length of the strong, corded arm, up to the repentant face of the man who offered it. Itachi.

She glared.

He gave a slight smile at her reaction, speaking in a deep, smooth voice. "I apologize for that, Kaiya-san." He gestured with his offered hand toward her bloodied mouth. "We were meant to give a demonstration, and I ended up making you bleed. You were quite a bit more zealous than the others." She raised a brow at him, still not taking his hand. After another moment, he simply leaned down and took her forearm, lifting her to her feet himself. She didn't argue, and she didn't speak just yet, still glowering. She'd intended to make a good impression on Jurou so that she would be put into a respectable squad, and this man had completely dominated her. Perhaps she'd been too overconfident..

The raven haired shinobi was also confusing her a bit. He'd been so emotionless during the battle, hard and calculating to the point where she wasn't sure where he would turn next. Not to mention, all the times she'd glimpsed him outside the headquarters, which weren't many, he'd always seemed a bit quiet and withdrawn. As if he was too good to talk to anyone else. However, here he was, a smile on his lips and an apology flowing forth.

She glanced down at Ryouken as he made his way over, slipping past Itachi to sit stoically at her side. He didn't even look at the Uchiha. Perhaps he was a bit more than disgruntled as well.

Kaiya's feral eyes flickered back up to the Uchiha, who seemed to be waiting for a response from her. The blood that trickled slowly from the corner of her mouth began to tickle her neck, and she raised a hand distractedly to wipe away the irritation, staining her palm red. Her golden eyes appraised the crimson on her skin before meeting his eyes again. "You know.. not many people have been able to do this with such little effort." She gestured with her bloodied hand to make her point, before taking a step closer, her vexation and humiliation clear in her tone as it quieted. "Don't expect it to happen again, Uchiha." Her eyes blazed

He quirked a small half smile, nodding at her determination. "I would expect nothing less from the Inuzuka clan, Kaiya-san."

With that, he gave a quick nod, coupled with his half smile, and backed away, turning to stride back toward the larger group while picking up his cat-like mask. She watched his back as he moved away, noting again his lithe, powerful stride. He was like an apex predator.

She wanted to reach that level.

So buried in her thoughts was she, that she didn't even notice Kakashi's presence as he appeared beside her until he grabbed her arm just above her elbow, examining the gash. She jumped slightly, surprised, before she looked at him. It was strange to have him touch her. Kakashi never touched anyone unless there was the possibility of a fight. His voice was low and concerned. "Come on, I'll walk you back to your apartment and get you bandaged up."

Kaiya raised a brow at him, making a little face. "Er.. Kakashi-sempai, it's just a little cut. It'll probably stop bleeding in a minute on it's own. You don't have to-"

Her words were cut short as he began to walk, tugging her along with his undeniable strength. He interrupted her, murmuring, "Just humor me, will you?"

She gave an irritated sigh, eyeing him in a way that said on it's own - _You're lucky you're my friend, pal. _But other than that, she didn't bother arguing. Instead, she simply withdrew once more into her own thoughts, turning over the fight in her mind. Distractedly, she lowered one of her hands, searching for the thick, coarse fur of Ryouken's neck, wishing to tangle her fingers within his pelt for comfort.

ooooooooooooooo

Kakashi was irritated. It usually took a lot for him to get that way, but right now.. there was really no other word for it.

He was sitting with Kaiya on the couch in her tiny little flat, meticulously wrapping the sliced skin on her arm, silent to her grumbles and huffs. He glanced up at her as she started to speak, already knowing what she was going to say. Her large eyes were practically petulant.

"Kakashi-sempai, you're making me feel like a child! It's not like I can't just walk it off!"

"Hush."

A vexed growl rumbled from her throat, and she crossed her arms. It was obvious she was trying very hard to be as patient as she was with him. The thought made it hard for him not to smile. His slender, dextrous fingers were just finishing tying a knot into her clean, white bandaging, and no matter how much she tried to get him to cut it out, it was obvious to him that her thoughts were elsewhere.

Ryouken was asleep at her feet, his great head resting on her knees, for he was just that big. Her hands were in his fur, combing through the coarse black strands absently as if it were something that happened on a regular basis.

"Alright, done. You can stop complaining now, oh distinguished ANBU shinobi." He chuckled, removing his hands and leaning forward to rest his forearms on his knees, fingers interlocking with one another as he gazed at her. It looked like she'd barely even registered that he'd been talking to her. That coil of irritation tightened in his gut once more.

"Thinking about Itachi?"

She stirred and turned to look at Kakashi, a bitter smile growing on her lips. "..it's that obvious, huh?" She chuckled in a self-depreciating manner and looked down at her lap, a few locks of her long, chestnut hair falling into her eyes.

He felt the strong urge to tuck them behind her ear.

"I suppose I'm just a sore loser, Kakashi-sempai.. I keep going over the fight in my head, thinking of what I could have done better.. but how does _he_ do it? He's so fast and so strong.. he hits like an anvil.." Her slender brows furrowed over her feral eyes, the corners of her lips pulling down slightly in concentration. He sighed, running a hand through his wild mess of silver hair. "You know.. he _is_ a prodigy from the most distinguished clan in the village. That probably accounts for most of it."

She made a soft sound in her throat, as if she were dismissing his heritage as a reason. She was still bent on it.

Kakashi leaned back on the couch, one of his arms draping across the back of it in his lazy manner. "Kaiya, don't worry about it.. you're a strong, determined woman. If you want to beat him, then one day you will. For now, take your mind off of it.. maybe we should go do something? I could.. take you to dinner, if you wanted?" His voice grew a bit softer at the end, his one good eye gazing at her with a mixture of curiosity and maybe a hint of hope. Hope that she got his meaning.

She didn't catch his eye, for she had begun to rub her eyes sleepily with the heels of her palms before letting herself sit all the way back on the couch, appearing exhausted. "Mm.. it's a nice thought, but I'm so out of it.. I used up too much energy on the fight.." She spoke casually.. she still didn't get it. Though, Kakashi felt a bit stupid. _Of course she wouldn't want to go out tonight.. she just had a damned match with an Uchiha._

He wasn't ready to give up just yet, however. "Well.. perhaps you'd like to do something tomorrow?" Again, he glanced over at her, but.. now her eyes were closed. She mumbled, half asleep already. "You mean like training..? Mmyeah.. I'd love to train with the great Copy Ninja.. " A sleepy, teasing smile alighted on her lips before her breathing evened out, and her face became peaceful.

For a few minutes, he watched her sleep, not wanting to get up and disturb her with his movement.. but also because she looked so very beautiful when she slept. "Training in the morning it is, Kaiya.." Though one wouldn't be able to see his face, it was clear that he was smiling at least a bit by the way he spoke to her, softly, so as not to wake her. Only a moment later, her precarious position, sitting up while sleeping, caused her to slowly begin to drift to the side. She would have ended up laying on the couch, but his body was in the way.

She lay now with her cheek on Kakashi's shoulder, her breathing slow and languid in the throes of sleep.. he didn't move her for the moment. He would in a minute..

_Just a little longer._


	3. Four Man Squad

When Kaiya awoke, it was in her own bed. Her vision hazy with sleep, she propped herself up on her elbows and glanced around to get her bearings, not quite sure of how she'd gotten where she was. When her ocher eyes landed on the note on her bed stand written in Kakashi's handwriting, she groaned lightly and let herself fall backward into bed as the night before flooded her mind. Poor Kakashi. She'd fallen asleep in the middle of a conversation, and he'd clearly brought her into her own room. She would have to make it up to him.

Absently, she reached for the note and brought it close to her face, one hand rubbing the sleep from her eyes as the other held it up.

_Don't forget about training. Ten am._

Promptly, her eyes flickered to the digital clock at her bedside. Ten fifteen am.

"Fuck."

Ryouken was less than pleased when she tripped over him on her mad dash to the bathroom.

**ooooooooo**

It figured that this would be one of the nonexistent days where he'd actually shown up _on time._

"You're late." He spoke without looking up from that little orange book. They were in the training grounds, with the three half buried logs standing out among the scenery. The wind was whistling through the air and trees in cool waves, signaling the onset of a storm.

Kaiya slowed in her running to a stop, leaning over and bracing her hands on her knees to pant, Ryouken practically glowing with mirth at her side. She was clad in her ANBU uniform, just as he was. "Yeah? And _you_ didn't set my alarm clock! Or even bother to tell Ryou to wake my ass up! No way am I shouldering the blame on this one, sempai." She spoke between pants, and it was only the need to keep herself upright that kept her from shaking a fist at the silver haired shinobi.

He chuckled, closing his book and tucking it into the weapons pouch at his lower back. "Well, I wasn't aware that you would sleep like the dead. Tough luck, kiddo.. but, on a more serious note.."

Suddenly, he was gone from sight. She'd merely blinked, and he had vanished like a phantom into thin air. Immediately, she collected herself, shifting into a state of calm alertness as Ryouken did the same. A sharp wind flashed at her back, and a blurry streak of silver flitted past in her peripheral vision.

So that's how it was.. moving so fast that her sight was useless. No matter.

With a small quirk of her lips, she let her eyes relax closed, all the while allowing her remaining senses to heighten with the loss of her vision. She could hear someone's lawnmower running a few miles away to the east. The warm, woody scent of Ryouken pervaded the air beside her, and she could practically taste the coming rainstorm in the air she breathed.

In a clash of sparks, kunai met kunai as Kakashi flitted into existence beside her. Her eyes were wide open now, dual pools of molten gold as she used the momentum of his attack to carry both of them. She let herself roll backward, using her kunai to cause his own to glance off target while propelling her legs upward into his stomach, maneuvering in such a way as to throw him ass over teakettle while she rolled herself upright. It worked to a degree.. but he didn't land splayed and spread-eagled as she'd hoped he would. Rather, he dexterously twisted his lithe body in the air and landed lightly in a crouch while skidding backward a few feet.

Kaiya's lips parted, exposing her serrated canines in a feral smirk as she dropped into a crouch of her own. Ryouken needed no direction from her as he sat himself in the grass, knowing his place was simply to watch unless she called him in. It was a human on human sparring session, and he was more than content to loll in the grass like a normal mammal would do. Not like those loonies.

Her hands were a flash as she signed, not needing to hide them from the sharingan user. There was no possible way he could copy this technique, as he was not bound to a ninken as she was. It was a well-used, perfected technique of the Inuzuka clan.. one of the many that made them so dangerous. She stopped in the tora symbol and sounded the words that would complete the technique in her mind.

_Gijyuu Ninpou: Shikyaku no Jutsu._

_**Beast Mimicry: Four Legs Technique.**_

Immediately, she felt her chakra build up within her, calling on her vast reserves to an extent that it was nearly visible as a hazy shimmer around her figure. It unbalanced the human and wild animal in her body, allowing the more dangerous, hidden, beast-like traits that lay dormant within her to rise to the surface. Disengaging the sign, she crouched further and settled her weight on all four limbs, low to the ground like an animal as if it were as natural as moving upright. The changes in her appearance were quick and profound.

Her already sharp nails lengthened and curved cruelly into claws, while her pupils dilated into mere slits, eyes becoming wild as her canines lengthened further into deadly instruments of death. When she did speak, her voice was nothing more than a snarl.

"Don't take your eyes off me, sempai.. for your own good."

And she was moving. Her newly altered body propelled her to inhuman speeds while Kakashi rapidly backpedaled, knowing that the key was to not let her get into close quarters. He hadn't sparred with her but a few times, and it was usually just playful back and forths.. but this time, she seemed to want a serious training session.

And she was so damn _fast._

As much as he attempted to get out of her way, her reflexes were instinctual and lightning fast, allowing her to pivot and twist with speeds that his unaltered body could scarcely match. Before he could put much distance between them, she was _there._ In his face and so close that he could feel her incredible body heat brush against him and through his vest. This technique probably took a lot of stamina to keep up if it caused her temperature to burn this hot.

Suddenly, they were mere blurs. Had anyone been watching, all they would see of the two of them was the hazy flash of swiping limbs and blinding evasions as they both attempted to outmaneuver the other in close combat. However, it soon became clear that Kaiya had the advantage in this type of fight. She was ten times more well equipped than he in taijutsu, and she was in her element. Though he may outclass her in everything else, he would be hard-pressed to get her out of his face.

The duel went on for long minutes as they wore each other down, Kakashi trying to gain distance, and Kaiya closing in on his every sidestep while his sharingan allowed him to anticipate her move and shirk away just in time in a vicious circle of deadly claws and even deadlier instincts. However, Kaiya bested him in stamina, and he finally had to stop a particularly close rake of her claws with his own hand, catching hers in a death grip. They didn't move from there as they stared each other down, both of them panting from the exertion.. until Kaiya cracked a feral smirk.

"You give, sempai?"

He gave a smirk in return, inwardly marveling at her taijutsu prowess.

"Never."

His entire body was tense and practically vibrating from the contact of her skin on his. She was incredible, and he was more enamored than ever. It was rare, if ever, that anyone could best him at anything.. and even rarer that it was a woman who did so.

A few drops of water began to him them then, signaling that the storm had arrived. The drops came faster until it was showering them and soaking their heated bodies. They paid no mind to the elements.. simply staring each other down with alert amusement and respect, waiting for the other to make a move.

However, just when another chain of assaults was about to begin, a cloaked and masked messenger ANBU appeared in the clearing, speaking in authoritative tones. "Inuzuka Kaiya."

She glared at the masked ANBU in such a way that any normal shinobi would have likely wet themselves as she slowly lowered her fist from where it had paused, inches from Kakashi's jaw. "..Yes?" Her appearance slowly shifted as she allowed her chakra to rebalance, gaining her more human appearance. It was clear that the match was going to have to end, judging from the expectant aura of the cloaked shinobi.. no use continuing to burn off chakra. She looked no less irritated, however.

The ANBU shifted slightly before he spoke, Kaiya noticing it was infinitesimally _away_ from her. Good.

"You are to report to headquarters immediately to be assigned your squad." He was then gone in a flash.. perhaps a bit more quickly than usual. Or perhaps it was her wishful thinking.

One dark brow raised at the implication of his words, and she looked to Ryouken, who was making his way to her side. His intelligent eyes were just as bright with excitement as her own. "Finally, eh Ryou?" His eyes sparked with the thrill, his dark tail cutting an impatient line through the rain that soaked his obsidian pelt.

They had been in ANBU for months, going through formal training, informal training, and more formal training until they thought there was no more possible training to be had. It was rough, drilling difficult lessons into their minds. Lessons that didn't sit naturally with the two pack-minded companions. They were taught over and over that the mission was more important than any single person. More important than themselves, and they were to leave their comrades behind if they were captured or injured so as not to jeopardize the mission at hand. Even if that comrade was Ryouken.

She still didn't know if that was something she could do, and she was well aware that it was one of the main factors that kept so many of the more than capable Inuzuka clan out of ANBU. They cared for their canine companions just as much as they cared for themselves. But she and Ryouken were headstrong and ambitious, dedicated to the village and the greater good. They'd proved that over and over to ANBU, and now they were finally getting placed into a position to receive assignments - joining a four-man squad.

She reached down and tangled her fingers in his thick pelt before turning her body slightly to regard Kakashi with an apologetic expression. He was back in his customary slouch, hands in his pockets. The only thing off was the fact that his hair was practically plastered over his face from the rain.

"Sorry, sempai.. rain check?" She grinned at the pun and winked at him, knowing he was probably just as disappointed as she that their match was cut short and trying to lift him from the mood. He quirked a small smile in response to her cheesy joke and nodded, moving closer to her so he wouldn't have to speak up over the weather. "We'll see.. you're probably going to get so busy now that you won't have time for little rendezvous like these for a while." She frowned a little, hearing the hidden disappointment in his tone. "Don't be such a downer, sempai! As soon as I've got even a little free time, I'll find you." He chuckled a bit and nodded, tilting his head in a thoughtful manner. "Alright.. but a word of advice. When you meet your team, be sure to be pleasant. Even if they're insufferable. You'll be with them almost constantly for quite a while.. ANBU get missions one after the other, and it'll be shit if you hate your team mates." He winked his ruby eye at her and strode silently away, hiding his dejected sigh from her.

He'd known she was getting placed soon.. that was why he wanted the time with her before she was gone.

**ooooooooo**

Once she was finally in the headquarters, she got a few dirty looks from the superiors.. she was dripping wet. Ryouken didn't help the situation at all, shaking out his dark fur and spraying anyone within an eight foot radius with rainwater. Kaiya couldn't help but laugh inwardly and reach out to give him an approving scratch behind his ears as they walked to the briefing room.

She combed her fingers through her hair absently, attempting to gain some semblance of dignity in her own soaked appearance.. but quickly decided that it was no use, and she would have to keep on looking like a waterlogged pup.

The door to the Director's office creaked as she opened it and stepped inside, Ryouken close behind her. Bright ocher irises flickered to the other two unmasked faces in the room besides herself and Jurou, already wondering if they were part of her team. They regarded her silently just as she did them.

One of them was a woman. She was tall and willowy with strawberry blonde hair tied back in an elegant ponytail that just touched the back of her neck. Her eyes were a light brown, almost caramel color, and the only thing out of place on her uniform was the fact that her nails were painted.. bright pink.

..awkward?

The other was an equally tall man with short cropped hair of the deepest black and sharp, intelligent eyes that seemed to be a few shades even darker. His skin was lighter than her own, but was crisscrossed with scarring of various sizes and lengths. Kaiya liked the look in his eyes.. here was a clever one. However, that was only three people, including herself. Briefly, she glanced down at Ryouken, wondering if he would count as the fourth member of the squad.. but no. Jurou would have started briefing them if that was the case. Instead, he was still sitting behind his desk with his fingers steepled in front of his mouth as if he were waiting. With an inward resigned sigh, she stood at attention and waited as well. However, she didn't have to wait long.

Only moments later, the door creaked open again and light footsteps were heard. They collectively glanced toward the newcomer, who murmured a soft apology for being late.

Kaiya had to suppress a grimace.

Uchiha Itachi.

His eyes briefly met hers, though his obsidian irises sparked with amusement rather than irritation once he got a good look at her. She was sure that her thoughts weren't showing blatantly on her face, but.. he seemed to get the gist of what she was thinking simply by the look in her eyes.

Kakashi's words sprang unbidden to her mind just then..

_When you meet your team, be sure to be pleasant. Even if they're insufferable._

It took a great deal of personal effort, but she trusted his advice.. and she knew her irritation with him to be unfounded. It wasn't his fault that he was stronger than her. Hell, maybe he would even help her train?

She kept feeding herself those rosy thoughts to keep the venomous ones directed at the dark-haired Uchiha beside her at bay.

_Nice. Be nice… _

He looked away just as she did, standing at attention just like the rest of them. Kaiya had noticed briefly that the blonde woman was eyeing Itachi appreciatively. The overwhelming urge to roll her eyes into her skull was nearly impossible to tame, and she wished she had her mask on. Of course she would have one of _those_ kunoichi on her squad..

Jurou finally moved then, lacing his steepled fingers together and sitting up. "As you have likely inferred by now, this is your permanent squad. I have thoroughly examined all of your skills and have deemed each one of you to be the perfect compliment for this team. Your individual skills will be cohesive with each of your teammates' and will allow you all to deal with a wide variety of missions, from tracking.." Here, he looked at Kaiya and Ryouken before shifting his gaze toward Amai and Kage "..to capture..", His eyes then landed on Itachi. "..to assassination, and everything in-between. Get to know each other, for you'll be spending quite a lot of time together."

Kaiya practically groaned as Jurou unknowingly quoted Kakashi.

"After evaluating each of you with my considerable observational skills, I've deemed that Uchiha Itachi will be your team captain, and you will obey and defer to him on all issues when in the field."

Ryouken looked up at Kaiya after feeling her tense up beside him. She looked as though she were trying to keep from saying something.. or shouting something.

"As far as names go, your team is Inuzuka Kaiya and her ninken Ryouken", he gestured to the two of them before continuing, "Uchiha Itachi, Yamanaka Amai," He motioned to the blonde woman, and finally the dark man, ".. and Nara Kage. You have a classified mission in the morning. Be here at six am sharp, prepared for a trip of up to two weeks. Dismissed." He waved them off absently as if they were flies buzzing around his head.

Were it possible for one to shoot daggers with their eyes, Kaiya would be doing just that to the old man. Itachi glanced at her expression as he turned to leave, and the corners of his lips quirked.

Once they were all out and moving down the hall, it was Kage who spoke first, his tone strangely at odds with his dark appearance and name, which meant 'shadow' itself. He was rather upbeat and cheery. "So, who wants to have a few drinks? I dunno about you guys, but I need one after suffering through his 'mightier than thou' speech."

Yep. Kaiya definitely liked him.

Her hand raised promptly. "I'll drink to that."

Amai laughed a little too sweetly and nodded, "Absolutely.. and besides, we all need to get to know each other to be 'cohesive', yeah?" She looked at Itachi as if for approval, though she found none. He wasn't paying attention to her, but rather to Ryouken, who was nosing his hand, looking for a good scratch behind the ears. He grinned a bit and obliged, chuckling when the large beast closed his eyes and let his tongue loll out in a canine smile of joy. Kaiya didn't miss this, and had trouble keeping from giving him a swat.

The traitor.. anyone who scratched behind his ears was an instant friend. Of course, that was usually of some significance.. he rarely let anyone but her touch him, and if he did it was only because he felt that he could trust them. Kaiya had always gone along with his infallible instincts, but this time? She wasn't so sure her pride would take a back seat just yet. It looked as though the introverted Uchiha was going to go along with them, though..

Yep. She would need a few drinks tonight.

**ooooooooooo**


	4. A Little Chat

**A/N: **If Itachi seems a bit OOC to you, it's because this all takes place before he even gets the assignment concerning his clan, when he was a bit more easygoing and less guarded.

**ooooooooooooooooooooo**

The most chatter was supplied by Kage, who was surprisingly cheerful and quick-witted compared to his dark, dreary appearance. Amai seemed to very much like the sound of her own voice, and spent most of her breath jabbering on about anything that happened to pop into her head at the time. How she'd gotten into ANBU, Kaiya wasn't too sure. Itachi was mostly silent, occasionally speaking up to something Kage said, but the majority of his time was spent quietly, listening. Kaiya had the strange feeling that he was analyzing them, getting more information about his new teammates by simply watching rather than engaging in conversation.

Kaiya herself was rather quiet as well, basking in the fact that she'd finally been put on a team. She had a bubbly feeling in her stomach that was akin to excitement, but was also content and a bit giddy. She loved a challenge, and was always at her happiest when she overcame one. The fact that she'd been put on a squad signaled the end of her formal training, and it was a step in her life that was now taken.

Other than her generally quiet behavior, she was absently combing her fingers through Ryouken's thick ruff of fur around his neck from where he lay under the table with his head on her lap. She smiled a little when she remembered the staff practically sputtering at a dog - a very large dog - coming into their establishment. It'd taken only a death glare from her and a barely contained snarl from Ryouken to convince them to ignore the duo. Her other hand was occupied with a mild alcoholic beverage, which she brought to her lips every once in a while as she people watched in her distraction. It was a perk of being on ANBU that allowed her to drink, though she was underage. They were technically above the law, and the bartender considered them to be the wisest shinobi in the village. Kaiya scoffed inwardly at that thought and was happy that the man hadn't met Amai yet. Nobody thought twice about asking to card ANBU.. they were expected to go out and risk their lives for the village, murder and assassinate, and yet one couldn't allow them to partake? Nonsense.

The conversation lulled for a few moments - though it wasn't awkward. Not for Kaiya at least. Amai decided to change the subject to her fellow teammates.. as in Itachi. She turned to him - sitting next to him as it was - and smiled sweetly. "So, Itachi-san. You've been very quiet all evening.. why don't you tell us something about yourself?" He glanced toward her, his face seemingly a bit impassive - as if he saw right through her. "What would you like to know?"

She paused, considering the question, before speaking slowly. "Well.. how about why you're in ANBU? You seem a bit introverted to be in such an intense organization.. "

Kaiya wasn't really sure what in the world Amai was talking about. Ninety nine percent of the men and women in ANBU ended up introverted and broody. Except maybe her.

Itachi seemed to think the same thing, raising a brow, but remaining impeccably polite all the same as he spoke in those low, oddly calming tones. "I am here because it was expected of me." He seemed content to leave it at that - a man of few words - but Amai didn't let him stop just there. She tilted her blonde head slightly, urging him on. "Expected of you? How so?"

Itachi took a slow drink from his cup, his eyes on nothing in particular as he stared straight ahead - somewhere over Kaiya's shoulder. She, however, was looking at _him_.. secretly hoping he would tell her to get her to back the fuck off and mind herself. Amai and Kaiya had barely spoken, and yet she had succeeded in burrowing under her skin. No such luck, though..

"My clan has become isolated in the past years.. few of us have occupations outside the police force, so when I was offered a place in ANBU, I was urged to take it." He paused for a moment then, looking at Kaiya. She wasn't sure why he did so. Maybe he could feel her irritation from across the table. Although this time it wasn't directed at him - but at Amai. It had only been for a moment, but it was curious.. his obsidian eyes were keen and analytical. Then he finally focused his penetrating eyes on Amai herself. "Why don't _you_ explain how you got here, Amai-san?"

Kaiya nearly laughed aloud at his choice of words. Next to her, Kage actually choked into his drink. She turned to look at the cheerful man, biting her cheek almost hard enough to break skin in order to keep from laughing. A quick conversation with their eyes revealed that he too loved that Itachi was subtly making fun of Amai's inappropriate manner. Poor girl. She was already the odd one out.

Even worse, she didn't seem to catch the joke.

"Well, I'm one of the top poison specialists around, you know.. making me useful for espionage and whatnot. My family is in the flower business, and as such, I'm familiar with nearly all poisonous foliage. Apparently ANBU's last poison specialist was killed, and they needed a quick replacement."

Quick was right. They apparently hadn't done any extra screening on the girl.

Kaiya had had just about enough at that point, and decided to leave the table before she threw Amai out a window. Sliding herself slowly out of the booth, Ryouken slipping out from under the table automatically, she glanced around the room briefly before looking back down at her new team. "I probably shouldn't drink anymore tonight.. I've seemed to caught a bad habit from the Copy Ninja, and I need to make sure I'm not inhibited any more than I already am." She grinned at the three of them before turning to go, Kage and Amai murmuring quick goodbyes.

It was when she got to the door that a voice caught her attention. "Would you mind some company?"

Kaiya turned her head, already knowing who it was. Itachi was close behind her, a small, pleasant smile on his lips. She raised a brow. "Why?"

A light curling of the corners of his lips betrayed his amusement as he spoke a bit quieter. "I don't exactly want to stay if I don't have to.. and the Uchiha compound isn't far from the Inuzuka compound. Besides, I wouldn't want a young lady such as yourself walking home alone."

She almost snorted. "I'm hardly alone, Itachi-san.. " She patted Ryouken's head. "And I hardly need a body guard.. but you're welcome to walk with me if you'd like. Anything to get some distance from that Yamanaka girl." She waved a hand as she mentioned Amai, the gesture betraying a bit of digust. Itachi made no comment, but his smile was still on his lips as he followed her and Ryouken out the door and into the night.

**oooooooooooooooooooo**


	5. Unexpected

Foreign words:

*Teichou - Captain

**[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

It was very difficult for Kaiya to keep the grimace off her face as she left the restaurant with unexpected (and unwanted) company. As if with some kind of sixth sense, Ryouken had cleverly positioned himself so that he was walking between the two of them. Kaiya wasn't sure if this was simply out of the desire to act as some kind of deterrent from her unwarranted short temper with Itachi, or because he genuinely enjoyed Itachi's company. She hoped the first, because she didn't particularly want Ryouken's friendly attitude toward the Uchiha to rub off on her. The man in question was, by all accounts, seemingly lost in thought.. or perhaps waiting for her to say something. She stubbornly and pigheadedly refused to start any kind of conversation with him, instead focusing on the scenery around them as their quiet footsteps trailed down the near empty street.

It was dark out, the sky mostly clear of any clouds, so the crescent moon was able to just barely light their path in a shower of pale light. It gave a strange, washed-out cast to their skin and Ryouken's thick pelt whenever they exited the shadows. However, it was nice and warm as per usual for Fire Country, and the crickets sang their melancholy song softly, hidden around them. There were only a few people here and there on the street, and none of them glanced their way, busy with one thing or another. Most all of them were civilians, either taking out trash or walking home. As such, Kaiya and Itachi hadn't bothered with donning their ANBU masks. The semi-darkness allowed them enough cover as it was.

Itachi must have felt some of the tension she was emitting, and undoubtedly made the connection in the same instant as to where it was coming from, for his dark eyes slanted toward her, almost immediately followed by a small quirk of his lips. They had been walking for perhaps six or seven minutes without a word between them. The match was clearly still eating at her, for what other reason would she have had to be so silent?

"Amai-san certainly seems to be oddly mannered for an ANBU shinobi, don't you think?" His smooth voice carried over to her easily from her left, and she answered him with a quick, soft scoff. It was clear that he was impeccably well mannered and restrained, to able to put it so gently. 'Oddly mannered' wasn't the word she would have used, that's for sure. She wasn't going to fall for his clever lure into conversation, either.. just because he could tell earlier that she'd been bursting to tell off their teammate didn't mean she wanted to talk to _him_ about it.

Damn his intuition.

After a moment, it was clear he wasn't going to get anything further from her in regards to his attempt. He narrowed one eye slightly, gaze still slanted toward her. It was clearly an observational expression, though she completely missed it. She was pointedly avoiding his gaze.

He chuckled softly. "So.. I'm going to go ahead and assume that you're still sore over that match, Kaiya-san."

Her glare promptly and heatedly cut to his, golden irises practically burning for the quick second they were looking at him. She realized too late that that was what he'd wanted. To get a reaction. The glare was enough for him to connect the dots, and was as good as an admission.

He didn't say anything right away, his dark, keen gaze appraising her once more with the confirmation of where her tension was sprouting. A small smile tugged at his lips."..you have quite the temper, don't you?"

"You haven't _seen_ my temper yet, Uchiha."

His smile slanted into a smirk, stemming from the fact that he had gotten words from her. "So then, you're going to write your squad captain off as a threat and a nuisance, simply because I was able to knock you down a few times in a sparring match? I doubt that would be conducive to our goals together, Kaiya-san."

She'd stopped walking now, and so had he. She was staring at him with what was clearly pent up anger, while he was merely watching her, taking it all in and storing it away for evaluation. Ryouken was merely looking between the both of them, back and forth, like a child watching his friends fight.

Itachi didn't continue, allowing her to absorb what he'd said. She was incredibly stubborn. To a fault. But she was still able to know when she wasn't in the right, as much as she hated to admit it - even to herself. She'd known for a while that her anger with him was unfounded, but she wouldn't listen to what her own gut told her, simply because she'd selfishly wanted to bask in her self righteousness for a bit longer. It seemed that it was time to face facts, though.. for he didn't seem content to let it slide tonight. That didn't mean that she would start spouting off any elaborate apologies to him, though.

She knew exactly what Itachi was really saying. '_You're angry at me over something like this? Come on, you're better than that.'_ So, she finally allowed the reasonable questions and answers to take root in her thick head. Why should she be mad at all? Because he humiliated her in front of the other ANBU shinobi? No. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses in a sparring match, and from what she'd heard, plenty of them had been knocked on their asses harder than she had - even while fighting someone other than the Uchiha. She wasn't petty enough to stay embarrassed over such a thing.

_So, it's only because I lost.. __**that **__easily._

_Oh, hell.. could I be any more childish?_

She sighed then, finding herself quickly losing steam as her unfounded anger began to spin down the proverbial drain. Her glaring eyes lost their heat as she stared into his calm, dark gaze. It wasn't simply because he was stronger than her, or even the fact that she lost. It was about her own _pride_, and he'd bruised it with his quick, easy dispatch of her. She _was_ better than that, better than how petty she'd been acting, and she shouldn't be taking out her anger on him.. even if he _was_ the one who had bruised her ego. She should have just been letting her irritation with losing fuel her motivation to become stronger. It was a valuable lesson to learn as a shinobi, letting go of one's pride in certain situations. One she had yet to perfect.

The only obvious indication that his words had gotten to her was the way her gaze dropped from his, moving down and off to the side. Itachi blinked once at that, and tilted his head the tiniest bit to the side, strands of his dark hair shifting against his cheek as his slender brows furrowed, focusing curiously.

".. no, I'm not going to write you off as a threat.. Teichou*. I just.. I guess I was thrown off by how strong you were.. and the fact that I wasn't prepared for it. I didn't handle it well.." She paused, looking down at Ryouken and threading her gloved fingers into his dark pelt before finally allowing her gaze to meet Itachi's. His dark eyes were intent, and no hint of his smirk remained on his face. He was taking her words seriously. ".. but I hope it's a step closer in learning how." She finished quietly, her normally rough voice uncharacteristically repentant. She wouldn't go so far as to actually say the words 'I apologize' to him, but she knew the intelligent Uchiha would be able to hear it anyhow.

Itachi was quiet for a few short moments, seeming almost as if he were studying her. She didn't shy away from his penetrating gaze, no matter how unsettlingly vulnerable it'd suddenly made her feel. Like an open book. His words were slow in coming, but that only made it clear that he'd thoroughly thought them through within those few silent moments. "..You have fire in your eyes, Kaiya-san.. the very same fire that every shinobi carries with them when the start their initial ANBU training." He paused for a moment, but continued in a somewhat sobering tone, "Some lose it when they go through those harsh lessons in the beginning.. and the rest lose it when they carry out the despicable missions we Black Ops shinobi are sent to do. I've seen it over and over in my few years here.. I've seen that flare, that inner will, slowly die out with every mission they return from, haunted by what they've done." She noticed his gaze sharpen on her, focusing as though he were trying to solve a puzzle. "But from what I've been able to see, you flame burns uncommonly bright, Kaiya-san.. don't lose it. I can't help but feel that it would be a tragedy."

Kaiya's wasn't completely able to school her expression into neutrality after Itachi had finished speaking. She was.. surprised, to say the least. Who would have thought that Uchiha Itachi could be so long-winded? And besides that, so utterly insightful? Reluctantly intrigued by this revealed side of him, and a bit caught off guard by his roundabout compliment, she found herself covering up her slightly flustered state with a dose of her usual self-assuredness.

"Are you kidding me? I'm practically my own sun! Nothing can grind out these flames."

He chuckled a bit and turned to begin walking again, allowing her to lift the intensity of the mood into something lighter. "You know, with anyone else, I'd probably just end up agreeing to keep from irritating them.. but I can honestly say that I believe you. You're tenacious, even for an Inuzuka."

Kaiya grinned a bit, elongated canines gleaming slightly in the semi-darkness as she and Ryouken moved to follow beside him. "_Tenacious_.. most people would call that pigheaded around here."

He shook his head, the amused quirk of his lips still visible. "Not in this line of work, Kaiya-san. I'd call it an invaluable virtue."

She turned her head to fully regard him for a moment, pleased and yet a bit perplexed. He sensed her gaze, and turned his head a bit as well, curiosity in his expression.

"You know, you've kinda surprised me, Itachi-san."

"Have I?"

She nodded, "Mm.. whenever I would see you around, you always seemed like the cocky, quiet type. Never really interacting unless there was a need, standing off by yourself.. The typical Uchiha genius who's too good for any of us mere mortals, you know? And if anyone ever spoke of you, they would always say you were aloof and quiet because you think you're too good for them, but.. I don't really think that's the case, now that we're speaking. You seem.. very down to earth."

He seemed to get some amusement out of her blatant honesty, his dark eyes dancing with mirth as he laughed softly. "Well, I suppose I'm glad you think so. I'm quiet by nature.. comfortable in my own thoughts. If I don't speak, it's usually simply because I have nothing to say. I have a tendency of being too introverted and analytical, and I suppose it's often mistaken for arrogance. Rightly so, I'd say, considering what the typical Uchiha can be like." He slanted his eyes to hers, his smile turning into a smirk. "You, however, seem quite comfortable being.. outgoing."

"You also have a tendency to put things too mildly, Itachi-san.. by 'outgoing', you mean 'obnoxious'." She laughed along with him, unexpectedly enjoying his gentle teasing. Ryouken rumbled a soft growl in his throat, but it was clearly one of amusement, for his tail was wagging jovially behind them. Lightly, she gave him a playful swat on his muscular shoulder. "You're not supposed to agree, Ryou!" The huge canine only seemed to chortle more, and she leaned affectionately against the beast. It didn't hinder his movement in the least, considering his massive back was at the height of her waist.

Itachi watched their silent, companionable affection with a small smile. "..No, being obnoxious carries a kind of.. _annoying_ quality to it. I don't find you irritating at all.. I think 'amusing' or 'interesting' would fit better for you."

She eyed him speculatively for a moment with a slightly bemused smile, unsure of where along the line of these couple of minutes he'd become someone.. friendly. Someone interesting to talk to. Perhaps he always had been, and it'd just been her idiocy that kept her from noticing. She inwardly berated herself for her stubborn pride, and decided she would make sure to give others a chance before jumping to vague conclusions.

She was honestly surprised that he found her interesting, though. Amusing, she could see. Obnoxious and irritating, definitely. But interesting was probably stretching it a bit. "Well, it's still a bit soon for you to tell, isn't it? It's only the first day as teammates, after all.."

"I've found that I'm a good judge of character, Kaiya-san."

She could only respond with a small, silent smile, unsure of what to say to something like that. She could already tell that he was a spectacular team leader. He was able to more or less berate her for being an idiot, but in such a way that she figured it out on her own - without harsh words from either party. Any operation he was in control of was bound to run smoothly.

The three of them were passing by the darkened windows of the Yamanaka Flower Shop, when Ryouken lifted his nose and sniffed at the air appreciatively. They both heard the snuffling sound, and Kaiya had one of the best noses in the village, so naturally, she already knew what was making the large canine lick his chops. The warm, sugary scent of dango and hot green tea was wafting toward them in the night breeze from a few shops down. It was one of the few shops open in the later hours, and there were a few people sitting together on the picnic benches beneath the overhang of the small dango shop.

Itachi glanced toward the source of the scent, and then at Kaiya, his expression suddenly thoughtful. "Would you care for some dango before you head in for the night?"

Huh. Well, there went the theory that he'd just been talkative to smooth things over for the sake of teamwork. Her amber gaze slanted toward him with surprised curiosity, a playful grin beginning to take shape on her wolfish visage. "I wouldn't have pegged you for one who likes sweets, Itachi-san.."

He smiled a bit, nodding with a conceding gesture as if he'd expected the light tease. "I know.. guilty pleasure. I've been discouraged from having sweets all my life, coming from a shinobi clan, but I like to sneak some every now and then. Call it my rebellious side." He smirked, "So what do you say? I'll buy?"

Kaiya laughed a little at his _radical_ 'rebellious side', and was about to consider taking him up on the offer, but as she began to open her mouth to speak, a familiar, smooth voice edged in.

"Kaiya? You're still out? I figured you would have been in bed by now, being such a heavy sleeper and all.. " Kakashi slipped seemingly from nowhere in his customary lazy slouch, one hand in a pocket while the other held up that well known orange book. He was in uniform, likely just getting off his shift, and his ANBU mask was hooked to his weapons pouch at his back. That single scarred eye was relaxed shut, the visible half of his face clearly tired. Itachi and Kaiya both turned their heads at his appearance, Itachi seemingly indifferent, and Kaiya curious, but appearing teasingly irritated at his dig at her lateness from earlier that day at the training feild.

"Eheh.. yeah, I probably should be, actually.. " She switched her gaze to Itachi, giving him a light smile. "Maybe once we get back from the mission.. I happen to have a sweet tooth as well." Chuckling softly, she gestured to Ryouken before murmuring to the both of them, "Goodnight Itachi-san.. Kakashi-sempai." She decided not to wait for Itachi or Kakashi to make an attempt to walk her home.. she hadn't particularly wanted company in the first place other than Ryou, anyhow. The Inuzuka compound wasn't far.

As she and her Ninken strode silently together, her fingers wrapped loosely in the dark fur between his shoulder blades, she found herself in an oddly good mood. Despite not having wanted company, Itachi had turned out to be rather enjoyable to converse with.. and tolerant of her pigheadedness, which was needed if they were to get along. She was still surprised that he'd asked her to stay out to have dango with him, though. He seemed to be a loner, no matter how friendly he might be, and very comfortable being so. She didn't particularly feel like speculating though, and she decided to just roll with the good mood she'd been graced with. They had been rare lately, and it was a nice change of pace.

**[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

Kakashi watched quietly out of the corner of his eye as Kaiya walked off, still not quite understanding the new dynamic he'd seen between her and Itachi. He'd seen first-hand how frustrated she was over her defeat, and now? It was like nothing had happened.. with anyone else, he wouldn't have given the turn-around a second thought, but Kaiya was a pretty decent grudge holder. Hell, perhaps she'd pulled another one-eighty and had actually taken his advice about getting along with her new teammates. He wasn't sure.

But what he _was _sure about, was the fact that Itachi had an interest in her. The way his black eyes followed her back as she left said enough from the stoic Uchiha. He wasn't sure of the manner of interest it was.. but Kakashi found that he didn't particularly like it.

"I figured she would end up being placed with you, Itachi-san, since you're both built for search and destroy type missions. Though, I was a bit worried about how she would behave, since she wasn't too pleased over how your demonstration match went.. but I can see things resolved themselves."

Itachi didn't turn right away to regard Kakashi, but his face was now calm and impassive. "Mm.. she's definitely volatile.. but she's also very passionate and determined. I can see that much, and it's easy to respect."

Kakashi noted the almost imperceptible hint of distraction in the Uchiha's tone. "..That's good to hear. It would be unfortunate if one of you came back from a mission in pieces, and not from the enemy's doing."

Itachi did turn now, and his obsidian gaze was calmly speculative, but sharp in it's evaluation. "..You look out for her."

The statement could have easily been a question.. but it didn't need to be, for it was clear that Itachi was sure of the answer already. Kakashi could have sworn in that moment that the Uchiha had been able to read his very soul, and had implied layered meanings to his simple words. It felt like he _knew_, when Kakashi did not even know for sure, himself.

The silver-haired man looked away from that impenetrable gaze, appearing to have caught sight of something across the street instead. "Mm.. she's a good person. A good friend." Itachi said nothing, but merely nodded. Kakashi did so as well, and murmured quietly as he began to move away into the night, "Have a nice night, Itachi-san."

The raven haired Uchiha stood watching the retreating ANBU's back for a long moment before heading off in the direction of his compound, not stopping for dango.

**[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**

In the following weeks, Kaiya would soon come to realize that, being an active, on-duty ANBU shinobi meant a few things. One, downtime was something elusive.. almost impossible to get ahold of. Two, sleep also happened to be elusive - for whether you be at home (rare) or out in the forests during a mission, you would find yourself too tense to sleep. And three.. you had to have one hell of a tough skin to harden your heart against all the dirty work the Black Ops had to do.

They never had a chance to go out for dango after their first mission, of course. Nor the one after that.. or the one after.

Their first mission had been fairly straightforward, though it'd involved a long, arduous trek through Wind Country. It'd been her first real test as an ANBU member, for the primary goal had been to track, and then to interrogate and destroy. The only thing was, the tracking part lasted the better of a week, of which she and Ryouken were leading the way. Neither of them had faltered once, but they had been up against someone who was extremely talented in covering their tracks.

The following missions over the weeks were varied, though almost always included tracking and interrogation thanks to their particular abilities. Amai had surprised them all and was actually incredibly useful when it came to interrogation, for she was gifted with her clan's Mind Transfer jutsu, which allowed her to pick through the victim's brain at will.

If it was ever too dangerous or difficult to capture the victim, Kage would frequently trap them with his Shadow Binding jutsu, where Amai would promptly use her technique to take over their minds for a short amount of time. Kage was essential when it came to this, for Amai's mind transfer jutsu moved in a slow, straight line which required the victim to be still - if she missed, she wouldn't be able to return her consciousness to her body for several minutes. Kage was also the Medic of all of them, though not a great one. He had extensive knowledge of medicines, and a few useful medical ninjutsu up his sleeve that he'd acquired thanks to plenty of time spent up in the Nara research lab up in the mountains of Fire Country.

Itachi was the master strategist. He would also break down the barriers in the more difficult victim's minds for Amai if she was having difficulty prying for information. However, when they were given an assassination mission, it was almost always Itachi who carried it out. He was quick and merciless. A flawless predator of the night. Kaiya came to respect and admire him, not only for his unparalleled skills, but also for his unflinching loyalty to his village. He never wavered in his missions, no matter how cruel they were forced to be.

Itachi, Amai, and Kage had all been in ANBU longer than Kaiya, Amai having been there the least amount of time - about six months - and Kaiya slowly began to notice a change in herself over time, as the missions they'd completed stacked up. She found that she'd begun to compartmentalize herself. During her missions, she was one person, a shinobi who could deal with the worst of the worst without batting an eye. When she was alone, or within her village, she was somewhat able to be Kaiya.

She'd quietly mentioned it to Itachi on one occasion, becoming concerned for her sanity, and he'd looked at her with his dark, sobering gaze, telling her that, "One becomes what they must in order to do what they must." It made her wonder what Itachi had been like before he'd joined ANBU. Had he always been so introverted? Or was it just a tougher skin that he'd grown in order to deal with the wrenching emotions experienced in their line of work? An armor? She believed so. It was probably the same with all of them, though she could only speak for herself. Though Amai was still her talkative, flirtatious self a lot of the time, when they were doing business, she was as quiet and grave as the rest of them. Even Kage's good humor was muted.

When they left the village, they were all given code names to protect their identity. Itachi was Aka, 'Red'. Amai was Ira, 'Thorn'. Kage was Fuzen, 'Vice'. Ryouken was Kuro, 'Black', and Kaiya was Ryoushi, 'Hunter'. During the missions, the talk between them was narrowed down only to what pertained to the mission, which usually wasn't much to talk about. So it would get quiet much of the time while they were out of the village - even more so when Amai went to sleep. Ryouken kept her from becoming lonely and isolated, her lifeline, as always.

Of course, there were the times when she just needed to talk about something _other_ than the next kill, and how to achieve it. For her sanity, if anything. She very well could have spoken with Kage, or even Amai, but it was Itachi who truly interested her, and made her _think_ with their quiet conversations, rather than both of them just waiting for their turn to speak. These conversations, however few there were, always took place when they were bunked down for the night, usually when Itachi had the watch and everyone else was supposed to be sleeping. She wouldn't be able to sleep, tense, and so she would talk quietly with him, about whatever was crossing her mind. Sometimes he would mostly listen, comment here and there, and other times, he would do most of the talking, his low, deep voice allowing the tension to drain from her body until she was able to sleep.

It was during what should have been a normal, straightforward mission about two months after their group had formed, that things began to change.

**[][][][][][][][][][][][][]**


End file.
